


Extra plate

by WritingforTheAvengers



Series: Christmas stories! [1]
Category: Avengers, MCU, Marvel, The Avengers, The Defenders
Genre: F/M, a set of christmas stories to get by
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28100238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingforTheAvengers/pseuds/WritingforTheAvengers
Summary: You and Frank Castle have a fight a few days before Christmas; he's working way past his posibilities and he doesn't want to stop. You've had enough, and you ask him to leave and not comeback.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Reader, T'Challa (Marvel)/Reader
Series: Christmas stories! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058645
Kudos: 11





	Extra plate

On the night of the 24th you were not expecting anyone when you heard the doorbell. Your family wasn’t going to make it because of the virus—you couldn’t make it there either, and your friends weren’t going to go out either, so you were spending Christmas and Christmas Eve on your own. You weren’t planning on spending Christmas alone really, you had your boyfriend to spend the holidays with, but upon unfortunate events, you two broke up just the week before.

You hadn’t seen him in a few days, Frank was working with Madani on something kinda secret, so you didn’t ask for details other than how long he’d be gone for, a sensible question considering Christmas was just around the corner; he did say he was going to be out for a couple of days, probably a week, and promised to check in every day. You didn’t ask for more, only him coming back alive and well.

When he came back after his work, the week before Christmas, he was very much alive, but not well. Frank was more bruised than ever, and you knew he had to stitch himself at some point, so he needed more care than usual. He even had difficulty walking. But the first thing he said after getting out of the shower was: “Can you please wash some of this stuff, I’m gonna have to go again for a couple more days and the stuff I’ve got here won’t be enough.”

“Frank, you can’t possibly think you’re gonna work more days,” you scoffed, leaning on the door frame. “You don’t look too good, and I’m sure I’m gonna have to check a wound or two,” you sighed.

“Baby, I’m fine,” he replied, shoving some clean clothes into his duffel bag. “We just didn’t finish the mission, and we cannot leave it like that. It’ll be shorter this time, I promise.”

“Can’t Madani find someone else to do the job? I’m only asking because I’m worried about you, it’s not common that you come home looking like this,” you pouted, taking a step closer to him and placing your hand on the shoulder that looked the best. “Can’t you stay here?” You asked softly.

“I took a hit, so what?” He shook his head carelessly, making you step back from him. “It’s not like I’m dead or something.”

“So what?” You asked back. “Frank, you came in limping. You thought I wouldn’t notice?” Frank looked away and bit his inner bottom lip, he did this when he didn’t want to admit you were right. “You have a terrible stitch on your forearm and I’m hoping it’s the only one. You really need to rest.”

“You know I can’t do that. I have to finish the job.”

“If you don’t call Madani to tell her you won’t be going, I’m gonna do it,” you threatened, though you’d never do it because you never interfered with his job, and because Madani was not exactly your favorite person in the world, but you thought you could play that card and make him stay.

“(Y/N), I have to. You don’t understand,” he growled, making very clear that it wasn’t working.

You took a deep breath, trying to not pick up a fight. “I’m really worried, Frank. It’s been very long since you’ve been like this… and Christmas is really near, and I’d love to spend it with you. It’s the 19th already,” you bit your bottom lip. “Can’t crime wait a few more days before you go?”

“You knew what you were getting into when you started going out with me,” he said in an unfriendly tone. “I never forced you into anything, and I warned you from the very start that I could be gone for a few days.”

“Oh please, this is _so_ not about that,” you rolled your eyes. “I’m only saying this because I—” you stopped yourself bluntly. You rose your palms facing him and sighed heavily again. “I don’t wanna fight, so just do whatever the hell you want,” you turned around and got out of the room towards the kitchen to have some tea.

You spent some more time watching TV while Frank gathered his stuff and made some calls. You tried not to listen, because you were hurt that he played that “you knew what you were getting into” card. Of course you knew, and you were by his side because you wanted so much more than the assassin everyone seemed to be so focused on.

“Madani’s waiting for me downstairs…” Frank said in a soft voice. He had his old duffel bag hanging from his good shoulder. “I’m gonna check in every day, I promise,” it was almost as if he was apologizing for leaving again in his state. “I’ll take care, okay?”

“Whatever,” you glanced his direction quickly.

“(Y/N), I really don’t wanna leave like this,” he sat on the coffee table in front of you. “I promise I’ll be home for Christmas, I just need to go for a couple of days more. Please, don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” you said plainly. “I’m just really tired.”

“Tired of what?”

“Tired of always worrying, tired of trying to be a priority in your life or at least the second one,” you sighed heavily. “I get it, you have your job and you enjoy it, but I feel like you should enjoy being with me too,” you placed a hand on your chest. “You’re always so eager to go away that it kinda hurts. And you talk as if I didn’t know your job. Whenever you say that I knew from the start what I got myself into, it feels like you don’t know me at all,” you looked down at your hands. “Of course I know,” you said softly, “and look, I’m still here…” you looked up to see his face. “I’m only asking you to stay because I worry about you.”

“I’m gonna be fine,” he thumbed your cheek with his rough hand. “I’m gonna come back.”

“Don’t,” you took his hand and placed it away from your face. “If after all this time you still don’t understand how I feel, then don’t bother coming back, really.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m—” someone knocked at the door, interrupting the fight. The knocking seemed urgent, so Frank opened to see who was it, only to find that it was Madani waiting on the other side. “Oh god, you _have got_ to be kidding me,” you complained in a whisper as you stood up. You rolled your eyes and shook your head tiredly.

“What are you doing here?” Frank asked.

“I just came here to check up on you because you were taking longer than usual,” she said in a careless tone. “You ready?” She looked at you making faces. “Hey, (Y/N)… I’m guessing this is not a good time, but are you coming, Castle?”

“Uhh—” Frank looked at you with pleading eyes. “(Y/N)… I _really_ have to go.”

“Alright,” you nodded carelessly. “I’m gonna need your key though. You can come pick up your stuff when you come back… if.”

“Oh god,” Madani said under her breath. “I suppose I can wait a little bit more, I’ll just keep waiting in the car,” she hurried to leave, closing the door behind her.

“Don’t worry, Madani,” you clicked your tongue. “Just go, Frank.”

“Bye,” he walked closer to kiss your cheek gently.

You saw Frank walk out the door on the 19th, hoping he would be back before Christmas, but as the date approached, you wondered if he took seriously your request to not come back. You weren’t serious, of course you wanted him to be with you and to come back to you, especially since it was your first celebration together as an official thing. You had spent a few other Christmases together, but this one had a special flavor to it.

On the night of the 24th you had lost all hope of him coming back, you were ready to eat the nice dinner you had prepared and the bottles of eggnog you bought to feel less miserable, although you were singing along to Wham!’s “Last Christmas”, feeling silly for having given yourself to a guy that clearly didn’t appreciate it.

So when you heard the knock on the door, you doubted if to go look, because you hadn’t done your make up and you weren’t wearing any kind of fancy clothes. Why would you anyway? You were spending Christmas all by yourself.

The knocking didn’t stop, and it almost felt as if you recognized the pattern of the sound, so you reluctantly walked to the door and to your surprise Frank was waiting for you with a present and a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He didn’t look as bad as when you last saw him, probably the job didn’t take too long and he had more time to recover.

“Do you have an extra plate for an idiot that fucked up real big this time?” He sheepishly asked, and if you didn’t know him better, you could’ve sworn he was blushing. “Wham?”

“What are you doing here?” You asked, trying to hide how odd it was for you to see him standing there, but it was still great because you didn’t want things to end like that.

“I came to apologize— _very late_ , I know, but I needed to think this through,” he pursed his lips into a thin line. “I didn’t want it to look like I’m just apologizing. I want you to know that I’m really sorry for every time I say that you know what you got yourself into—”

“Okay,” you nodded, cutting him off, “but come on in. It’s cold,” you stepped aside to let him walk inside. “Now go on,” you closed the door leaning with your back against it.

“When you said that…” he left the present and the flowers on the coffee table. “I realized that I do say it a lot, and I really shouldn’t, because you and I have been together for years now, and you’re still with me even though you know everything that I do, so first I’m apologizing for that,” you could feel yourself softening to his words. _You hated it_. “Then, I’m apologizing for worrying you all the time, and making you feel like you’re not a priority, when the truth is that you are my number one priority,” you looked at Frank, and it was perhaps the very first time you had seen him being this vulnerable.

He could be vulnerable in many other ways, but making such an elaborate list of apologies for his actions was not the kind of behavior you saw in him. Frank was proud and tough as a rock, so this was a nice change. He walked towards you, and though the space between you was clearly sufficient to hold a normal conversation, it still made you nervous to have him close—after many years, he still gave you weak knees.

“Whenever I go out, I’m thinking of making this city a better place for you,” he said softly. “You know the kind of scum I deal with, and I don’t want to imagine how I would feel if they got to you because of me,” he reached one arm towards you, and you grabbed it almost out of instinct. “And lastly, I’m apologizing for making it look like I enjoy going to jobs more than being with you. I like what I do, that’s true, but being with you, getting to just relax, stay in bed or something like that is the best part of my days. I wouldn’t want it any other way, (Y/N),” he stepped even closer, trapping you in between his body and the door. “(Y/N)… don’t think for a minute that you’re not the most important thing for me,” he whispered. “Can you please forgive this idiot?”

“Y—yeah,” you nodded nervously. “But I just want you to know that…” you said in a barely audible voice, “just because you’re really close,” you placed a hand on his abs and slowly roamed up his torso, “it doesn’t mean I’m gonna go easy on you, alright? You still have some more apologizing to do,” you tugged at the collar of his jacket and pulled him closer to kiss him. “Mmm,” you hummed in delight after breaking up the kiss. “Not gonna lie, I’ve been missing this, you’ve been gone for weeks.”

“I missed this too,” he chuckled softly, quickly pecking your nose. “I’m really sorry, (Y/N).”

“I forgive you, honestly I can’t stay mad at you for long…”

“Wanna open your present?”

“We could do that after dinner. I’ve had your present for a few weeks now. I was not expecting we’d get into a fight,” you chuckled. “Can you turn on the oven while I get the present? I was thinking on placing it under the tree,” you smiled softly. “Of course there’s extra an extra plate for you—you know I love leftovers.

“More than you love me?” He asked.

“Right now? I’ll have to think about it,” you pursed your lips and narrowed your eyes. “Go heat up the over, I’m getting kinda hungry,” you complained.


End file.
